It's hard to believe fall is upon us, with kids going back to school and cooler weather settling in. At Mayo Clinic Health System, fall means preparing for another cold and flu season. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is a big part of that planning process this year.

We want to assure you that we're ready to care for all patients who are sick with any illness. But we also need you to do your part to keep yourself and your family healthy.

We encourage all of you to be vaccinated for influenza as soon as possible. Fewer people sick with the flu means more resources are freed up to care for patients with COVID-19.

Also, be sure to keep up the good work of wearing your masks, social distancing, and washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. These practices not only protect against COVID-19, but also a variety of other viruses and bacteria.

With all of this in mind, here are a few other updates from Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont.

New Urgent Care location

Our new Urgent Care space is up and running in a clinic space adjacent to the main clinic. This new location allows us to continue to distance patients with acute symptoms from patients coming to the clinic for wellness appointments.

We thank the Fairmont Community Hospital Foundation for funding the renovations.

New provider and services

• Madhan Prabhakaran, M.B.B.S., M.D., has started seeing patients in Family Medicine. Dr. Prabhakaran came to us in July from Palo Alto County Hospital and Family Practice Clinic in Emmetsburg, Iowa, where he was a family medicine physician.
• Vein sclerotherapy, which is used to eliminate varicose and spider veins, continues to take off in our surgery practice. The procedure is minimally invasive and entails an injection of a solution directly into the vein. This injection irritates the lining of the blood vessel, causing it to collapse and stick together. Over time, the blood vessel turns into scar tissue that fades from view.

Fairmont Baby Cafe

The Fairmont Baby Cafe has gone virtual in the wake of COVID-19. Those interested can attend Fairmont Virtual Baby Cafe meetings on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m.

Baby Cafe is a national network of breastfeeding drop-ins, combining breastfeeding information with a relaxed, informal environment where mothers can chat and learn about breastfeeding from skilled practitioners and each other.

Registration is required. You can register at mayoclinichealthsystem.org/classes-and-events/Fairmont-baby-cafe.

Screening stations

We will continue to have screeners at each of our entrances to screen people for COVID-19 symptoms. This screening allows us to protect our patients, visitors and staff from possible infection. We thank you for working with them and answering their questions before coming inside.

As a reminder, masks are required to enter our facility. If you suspect you have COVID-19, call first so we can direct you to the right place for testing or treatment.

Thank you to our communities for your continued support of the changes to our facility and protocols during this unprecedented time. We appreciate your help in keeping everyone safe during the pandemic.

Stay safe and be well.

― Marie Morris, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont
― Amy Long, administrator, Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont

Direct questions to comments to Amy Long, administrator, Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, at 507-238-5070 or by email.